Food Inspired by Actual Events

Whenever I feel overwhelmed about working and having a child, I think of my grandmother, Dottie. In the early 50s, as the mother of 3 boys (each 2 years apart in age) she completed her college degree in 3 years and began her career as a teacher. During this time she and my grandfather were constantly working on their house. (My dad's former bedroom was in the present day basement of a house that now boasts a garage apartment t-that's how much work they did.) They were both constantly busy.

Dottie has shared with me that she never knew how many would sit down at the dinner table each night, but she did know that they would all be hungry. She learned to be a flexible cook, even though or maybe because, her mother had never taught her to cook. Dottie says there are times that she has dreams that large groups of friends are coming to dinner unexpectedly, and she needs to make dinner with no idea of what ingredients she has in the house. She says these dreams aren't stressful, just pleasantly familiar. She is fearless about substitutions.

Which brings me to my cooking. My mother is an excellent cook. Her mother actually won ribbons at the county fair and had recipes featured in regional cookbooks. I consider myself a good to okay cook, but rarely use recipes, unless they are for something that my mother never made, like risotto. This summer however, given the heat and the non-stop morning sickness , I have not been able to face making food most nights. Luckily, Tom is often happy with Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

(Side note from my inner feminist- Tom and I made a deal when we moved into our house with no dishwasher- I'll cook, if he washes dishes. I HATE washing dishes, so I am not renegotiating. Besides, with the pregnancy, he is now cleaning the catbox too.)

Well this past week the tide has turned and I have begun cooking again.

I was looking for inspiration (often the greatest hurdle I face in my cooking) and feeling homesick, so I checked out a blog my aunt Gail recommended, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I found a "16-minute meal" that looked good Bowtie Lasagna . I read it over, and decided I would make it that night.

The recipe called for:
Cooked Bowtie Pasta
Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Browned Ground beef
Garlic powder and Italian Seasoning
Mozzarella cheese
Sour Cream

When I got home, this is what I made
Instead of Bowtie Pasta, I used Penne Pasta (What i had in the pantry)
Instead of Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, I made my own (I always make my own with fresh garlic, canned whole tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. It's easy and I know exactly what's in it)
Instead of Browned Ground Beef (which I didn't have any thawed out) I used some cooked chicken breasts I had frozen to use in salads . I defrosted in the microwave and then just cubed them.
Instead of Mozzarella Cheese, I used shaved Parmesan Cheese (I may not be required by law to have always have Parmesan Cheese in the house, but I might as well be. I think of it as Italian salt, instead of additional salt I just add fresh Parmesan.)
Instead of sour cream, I had Greek yogurt, so I just threw a spoonful of it in at the end.

Tom loved it! I then told him I got the recipe a website, except instead of this, I used that. As I went through the list, I realized what I had done.

I am my grandmother's granddaughter.

At this point, I'll just say that I was inspired by the recipe on the Pioneer Woman Cooks website, but I can't really say it's her recipe. Besides, it is my core belief that quick meal, shouldn't require a special trip to the grocery store.

Happy eating!